Rose for a Rose
by poplarleaves
Summary: -" 'Better to be "arrogant and stuck up" than absentminded, don't you think? ' he murmured, one hand pulling her closer by the wrist." Contestshipping. Some LaRousseCockyBastardshipping.
1. Puppy Eyes

"Please, Drew? You're the only one left!" May stood before the vidphone, giving Drew a sorrowful look through the screen. "Everyone else is busy or has to go somewhere. Two Rainbow Passes, Drew! The Sevii Islands!"

The green-haired Coordinator sighed. "May, I told you nothing good would come out of winning those Passes."

"Well, nothing good _will_, unless you come along with me," his rival said adamantly. "My parents aren't letting me go unless I bring someone else, and you're the only one left."

"Max?" Drew offered.

"Helping Dad with the gym," she said flatly.

"Ash? Brock?"

"Ash's spending his summer with Misty; Brock's keeping an eye on his siblings."

"Gary, Tracy, Dawn?"

"I barely even know them!"

Drew mustered up his courage for the next one. "...Harley?"

There was a long silence. "You honestly think I'd trust him enough to go on a two-week trip with him?" came the disgusted response. "Besides, he's busy acting in horror movies."

Drew muttered something unintelligible, then said, "Look, your parents barely even know me."

"They know you well enough. You _are_ a famous Coordinator, after all," she said pointedly. "You're just trying to find an excuse, aren't you?"

"No, I'm-- You're not going to let go of this, are you?"

And she wouldn't, he knew. Of course, there was no reason why he should care, but the truth was that he did.

"No," cheerfully.

"Arceus damn it," he muttered to himself.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Sure. So are you coming or not?"

Drew sighed again, heavily. "I don't know. It's not like I really have the time, being a 'famous Coordinator' and all," he added with a tinge of resentment.

"Drew, there aren't any upcoming Contests for the next two months! Two weeks out of two months," she pleaded. "I've wanted to go to the Sevii Islands for forever!"

"No, I really don't think--"

And then May unleashed her greatest weapon.

"N-no, May, not the puppy eyes! _Not the puppy eyes!_"

**_~roses~_**

So it was settled then. May was going to the Islands, and she was dragging him along with her.

_Dammit, she always gets her way._ Drew fell back heavily onto his bed and sighed. _I honestly don't know why I keep letting her do this. The last time she made me do something for her, I ended up with Harley for a full day._ A shudder. _Never want to go through that again._

May, May, May. He knew that he liked her - even Solidad and Harley were aware of it. She was the only one who could force him into the most embarrassing of situations, make him scream at others in frustration, and force him to realize just how much of a fool he was sometimes. She brought out both the best and the worst in him, and he wasn't too sure himself how he felt about it.

Innocent, naive, cute, awkward, quirky, sweet, silly - everything that she was - all of it - was somehow attractive. Appealing.

Adorable.

"Oh god. I did not just think that."

Drew rolled over and smothered himself with a pillow. Adorable? It was so un-Drew-like of him that he nearly gagged. Someday he'd have to deal with it. Not now, though.

He sat up and stared blearily at his suitcase, open at the foot of his bed. Empty. Just like his head should be.

With a sigh, he stood and proceeded to pack it.

_**~roses~**_


	2. Rivals

Drew stood on a loading dock, trying to shelter his eyes from the noonday sun as a crowd of people pushed past him. Shouts, crying and laughter mingled in the air around him, accompanied by the occasional squall of a Wingull. His face darkened with annoyance. May had told him to get there early, but already people thronged the docks in thick masses.

"Drew!"

He turned a bit more quickly than usual and scanned the crowd for May. Spotting her a few yards away, he forged a path through the mass of bodies. He hesitated as he took in her outfit - she had given up wearing her green bandanna, and so her chestnut hair fell a little lower than her shoulders. Below that she wore a sleeveless green shirt underneath a white, long-sleeved top that stopped above her waist. Rather than wearing her typical tight-skirt-with-leggings, she had a light blue skirt that was just long enough to not be called immodest. May seemed to notice where his attention had wandered, and she smiled and twirled around in a small circle.

"Do you like it? I decided to wear something different for a change."

Drew struggled to focus his attention elsewhere.

"May, where--"

She pointed before he could finish. "We're boarding from there. The nine o'clock ferry."

"Okay. My pass...?"

"Oh!" She fumbled through her bag and emerged with a plastic card coated in translucent rainbow colors. Embarrassed, she handed it to him. "Sorry," she apologized. "I almost forgot."

"Absentminded as always," Drew remarked with a slight smile, pocketing the pass. "You always have been."

"At least I'm not arrogant and stuck up," she retorted.

"Better to be 'arrogant and stuck up' than absentminded, don't you think?" he murmured, one hand pulling her closer by the wrist.

"W-well...!"

"That's a matter of opinion," came a voice from behind them. Both turned and stared at the cocky youth who had addressed them, his wavy auburn hair falling around his face.

"Rafe?" they said in unison, then gave puzzled looks to each other. Drew quickly let go of her wrist.

"You know him?" May asked Drew.

"Yeah, we met in LaRousse." Rafe smiled at her. "I go there every summer. The Battle Tower, you know. He visits it because--"

"It's my hometown," Drew cut in. For some unfathomable reason, he was irritated. Sure, the guy was a cocky bastard like him, but there was something else that cut deeper. "How do you know May?"

"We met in LaRousse, too. I was with Ash, Brock and Max," she explained, sensing Drew's tension. "We were just sightseeing, really. Although," she said with a frown, "some crazy things happened with some legendary Pokemon..."

"Let's not go into that," Rafe said smoothly. Flashing a smirk at Drew, he continued. "So. Why are the two of you traveling together?"

"She dragged me along. She was practically begging me to come."

"I was not!"

"Don't deny it," Drew teased. "You're blushing."

"What...?"

_Crap, _he thought. _The words slipped out before I could think--_

There was a sudden, loud noise, and the crowd began to push past the three of them.

"Seems like the ferry's arrived," Rafe observed. "Let's go."

They somehow managed to squeeze their way on board, flash their passes at the stewardess and find three seats on the already overcrowded ferry. Drew watched as May sat between himself and Rafe with her legs crossed, looking anxious.

"Something wrong?" he asked tentatively.

She shook her head. "Nothing. Just tense."

"About what?" Rafe murmured absently. He turned to look at May, and Drew could sense her jump.

"I don't know," she said a bit helplessly.

"Well, there must be something." Rafe half-laughed, as if trying to lighten the mood. "What do you think, Drew?"

"You're probably just worrying about nothing. As usual." He tried a smile.

"Maybe I am."

He watched as her eyes wandered over the other passengers, flickered to the windows, then - briefly - over him.

"I'm going outside," she stated simply, and stood to leave.

After May had proceeded through the doors leading to the deck, Rafe gave Drew a grin. "She's cute, isn't she?"

The green-haired Coordinator arched an eyebrow even as he felt a twinge of possessiveness. "Really."

"I highly doubt that you'd know her for years without noticing _her._ Honestly, how blind do you think I am?" The trainer laughed, settling back into his seat. "It's so obvious that you like her."

"Shut up," but a half-smile curved his lips. "Fine. Yes. I'm interested."

"Good. Then I have a rival."

"Oh, that's just _great_," Drew said sarcastically.

Rafe smirked. "I might have to steal her from you, who knows? After all, she _has_ known you longer." He extended a hand. "May the best man win."

"Tch."

Drew stood and headed for the deck, Rafe's laugh still ringing in his ears. He paused before the doors, debating whether or not to go through. So the bastard wanted May - or at least he wanted to get her attention. It wasn't like he really cared about her.

_Do I really care?_

"Yes," he said to himself. "Yes."

And he walked outside.


	3. Denial

May breathed deeply, willing herself to calm down. Spray glistened in the air, jumping from the depths of the waves to the faces of eager passengers, all bound for the same place - the Sevii Islands. She had seen so many photographs, heard so many stories about those islands that her romantic teenage spirit had all but become obsessed with visiting them. Now that her dream was finally coming true at last, it was difficult for her to believe in it.

Especially since Drew was coming along with her.

"Of course, that's not why I'm so nervous," she said, correcting herself. Her fingers rubbed absently along the railing of the deck. "It's just that he's finally showing his respect for me. And his approval. And..." a disgusted sigh, "I sound like a lovesick puppy."

"Who says you aren't?"

With a gasp she pivoted to face Drew in all of his stuck-up, rich-kid, pretty-boy glory, the wind sending his hair flying. She crossed her arms as she struggled for the right words. "I-I'm not! How would you know, anyways?"

A shadow seemed to cross his face. "Maybe because I'm the cause of it."

"Don't flatter yourself," she muttered.

"Who says--" he leaned closer, "--I'm flattering myself?"

It was just the difference of an inch or so, but when he leaned in toward her, he seemed to block out the world until all she could hear were the sounds of the waves and her own frantic heartbeat. He was serious - or at least, he seemed serious.

And then she realized that they were still in the middle of a crowded deck, surrounded by some twenty-odd people.

"Why," she turned away from him to face the sea, "did you come out here?"

"I thought that was obvious." He gave her a look. "To be with you. After all, you _are_ the one who dragged me along on this trip," he added quickly.

"Oh. True."

No, he wasn't the reason. He wasn't the reason why Beautiflies fluttered about her stomach incessantly, why her gaze kept shifting back toward the deck instead of the water, why she had felt anxious all morning. No. It wasn't him. Not him, with his arrogant hair-flips and roses and teasing and... and...

"You're blushing, aren't you?" he said quietly.

"No, I'm not."

"Denial."

"I'm not in denial, you idiot! What makes you think I am?" she huffed, turning to him again. "If you're this desperate you don't need to annoy me constantly like - like this!"

"Desperate?" A bemused smile crossed his face. "Why would I be desperate if I was interested in you?"

"I...!"

A laugh from him. "May, you really think you're that - oh, what would I call it - unwantable?"

"N-no... I mean... no, I didn't mean that!" A scandalized blush rose to her cheeks as he continued to laugh. "You just made that word up!"

"Unwantable?" A chuckle as he settled down. "Maybe."

"You did!"

"Shh, don't draw so much attention to us," he teased. Heads were already turning to see what the commotion was about. "I want you all for myself, you know. I'm not really a sharing kind of person."

"Sh-shut up," she said in a small voice. Then, "You made it up."

"That doesn't make it any less true," he whispered. "And in my eyes--" he placed a hand on the railing behind her, moving his mouth close to her ear, "--you are the exact opposite of it."

"I... don't... know what you're talking about," she said helplessly as he pulled her close again. Frantic, she regained her ability to speak. "Drew! There are so many people...!"

"I don't care."

"I do!"

She wrenched away from him, stumbling a little as she got to the door, apologizing as she pushed others aside. Then, of all things--

She fell.

Into Rafe's arms.

"Are you okay?"

May looked up into his dark brown eyes, feeling her heart jump when he suddenly smiled. "I'm fine," she said breathlessly.

"That's good, then. I hope I didn't startle you."

"Oh, no, I... I'm perfectly fine." Confused, she smiled back.

Rafe looked past her to the young man who had by now made his way to the two of them. "Drew, let's go back inside, shall we?"

"Whatever you say, Rafe." His voice was tinged with jealousy.

The auburn-haired trainer waited until May had walked back inside, then said, "Wish you could've caught her?" When there was no response - just a blank stare - he laughed. "Oh Arceus. You're so possessive, aren't you?"

"You'd better remember it."

Rafe laughed again and went inside, Drew close behind.


	4. Guy Talk

The remainder of the trip to One Island was long, to say the very least. Throughout the length of the journey Drew endured in silence Rafe's easy, rich laugh, the way May smiled, the incessant reminder that _she still wouldn't look at him._

When they finally stepped off the ferry, the sun was already slowly slipping behind the horizon, the last rays caressing their faces before they turned to what was known as One Island.

"Well, we're here," May said cheerfully. Was that tension in her voice?

"Miss Obvious," he muttered impulsively.

She turned on him, her little face frowning as usual, opening her mouth to retaliate--

"You were just trying to break the silence, weren't you, May?" Rafe smiled as if it was the drollest thing in the world. "We've all been kind of quiet on the way here, haven't we?"

"Um. Yes."

He knew he was being a melodramatic, idiotic, paranoid, possessive fool, but when May smiled back at Rafe he felt a twinge of jealousy prick at his mind. Just before they began to walk toward the One Island Pokemon Center, Rafe flashed him a smirk. He rolled his eyes, trying to ignore the fact that he was following on May's heels more closely than ever.

It was dark by the time they reached the Center along with all of the other passengers from the ferry. There was a large crowd gathered inside the lobby, and it took several minutes before they managed to make their way to the front desk.

"Hello, and welcome to One Island. How can I help you?"

Rafe took the initiative. "Do you have three rooms?"

Nurse Joy typed something into the computer, then shook her head apologetically. "I'm sorry, but we barely have any space left, and during this season we almost always have to put some people in rooms together. The Sevii Islands are very popular tourist attractions, after all. Would you mind...?" and then her gaze slid over May. She hesitated awkwardly, then turned back to the computer. "Oh. Um. I'll check again, okay?"

"No, it's fine. We'll share a room," Rafe said loudly.

Drew nearly choked, and he had a strange suspicion that May was having a similar reaction. "_What?_"

Nurse Joy seemed to be surprised as well. "A-are you sure? Because--"

"It's fine, Nurse Joy." Rafe turned to his two companions, and that lazy, no-good-bastard smile slid back onto his face. "After all, I've traveled in a group before, just as May has."

There was an oppressive silence as Nurse Joy registered them and gave them the keys to their room.

_**~roses~**_

"You... you _bastard...!_"

"Calm down, Drew," Rafe laughed nonchalantly. May had long since entered the shower. "It's no big deal. After all, both May and I have shared rooms with our traveling companions before. Of course--" he leaned in closer, a malicious gleam in his eye. "--_you_ were always a loner."

"Oh, shut up. It doesn't make that much of a difference."

"Doesn't it?"

"No, it doesn't," Drew responded levelly.

"Really. Never slept in the same room with a girl, have you?"

Drew lifted an eyebrow. "Neither have you. Unless you count your sisters."

Rafe decided to ignore that last remark.

"Anyways..." Drew sighed. "_Arceus_... damn you, Rafe. Damn you. Forcing us into a situation like this."

"What's wrong with the three of us sharing a room? There are tons of trainers who travel in groups; we're not the first, you know. Besides, I just took what we were given. You heard Nurse Joy - the Center's packed. Did you see how many people there were?"

"You didn't have to insist on it!"

"Well, you didn't have to go along with it. You could've protested," Rafe pointed out. Then he paused. "Wait. You _could_ have protested. Why didn't you?"

Drew's gaze wavered. "What? What are you looking at me like that for?"

"You _wanted _to sleep in the same room, you sly bastard." A grin spread across his face. "Didn't you?"

"Shut up, you arrogant bastard."

"I prefer 'cocky bastard', Drew," the trainer responded. "And, by the way, you shouldn't be talking."

"I thought I was just a 'sly bastard', not a cocky one."

"You're both."

Drew laughed and threw a pillow at Rafe.


	5. Fangirl

The sunlight was fighting its way past the curtains by the time May woke up the next morning. A heavy sigh on her lips, she parted them and blinked rapidly at the scene outside. Many of the Center's current inhabitants were milling around with their Pokemon, chatting, most of them preparing themselves for a day in the outdoors - full of energy, full of excitement. Bleary-eyed, May turned back to the room and noticed with a slight jolt that Drew and Rafe were gone.

"Drew?"

She poked her head into the bathroom. The room had been created with the intent of housing four people, so one towel was folded neatly on a metal rack on the wall while the three others were draped at random around the small, white-tiled space. The counter top was cluttered with various items, among them a small bag with a few of her personal belongings in it.

"No one here, apparently," she said to herself quietly. Another quick scan around the room, and she locked the door. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she pulled out her clothes for the day. It was awkward to share a room with two guys, but then again she had done the same with three - Ash, Brock and Max. _Although,_ she thought to herself, _that was when I was still twelve..._

"May?"

She yelped in surprise and realized that the voice was coming from outside the door. "Y-yes?"

"It's Rafe. Are you changing?"

"Yeah. Did you guys have breakfast?"

"No, not yet. Drew and I were doing some training. We'll meet you in the lobby, okay?"

"Alright," she called back, pulling her shirt over her head. With a deep breath, she took out her hairbrush. The day promised to be very interesting.

**_~roses~_**

"Drew. What's the plan for today?"

The coordinator cast a glance at Rafe. "I'm not sure. May never told me what she planned on doing here. I figured we'd look around each island."

"I've heard of several rare Pokemon here that I want to catch. Apparently there are some pretty high-level ones, too. Since I had the time, I just decided to come here and see what I could get. Luckily for me, I met you two." He smirked. "On your little lovey-dovey trip."

"I thought I told you that she dragged me along just for the hell of it," Drew muttered.

"But you _let_ yourself be dragged along."

"Let's just say that once she asks something of me, I can't ignore it."

"Oh, is that a confession?"

"You already know about it, Rafe."

"Of course I do."

There was a silence, and then as if by cue May clattered down the escalator and came to a stop a few feet away. "Oh," she breathed. "Good morning."

"Morning," the two rivals said in unison.

May cocked her head to one side. "So... you two haven't eaten yet?"

"No. Training, as I've said before," Rafe added.

"I hope I didn't make you wait too long--"

"It's fine," Drew cut in. "It's only been about five minutes. Let's go."

He began to walk away, and the other two followed him into the Center's food court, where dozens of trainers and tourists were already halfway into their meals. Lighthearted chatter filled the room, accompanied by the chime of "Thank you; we hope to see you again!" from the Nurse Joy at the front desk. Drew headed toward an empty table by a window looking out over the One Island harbor. Rafe slid into the space next to him while May sat opposite to the two of them. Noticing them, a waitress headed over and greeted them.

"Hello," she said cheerily, the smile that was plastered on her face widening when she saw the faces of Drew and Rafe. "What can I do for you today?"

"We'll have whatever the special is today," Rafe said quickly, flashing her a boyish grin. Drew rolled his eyes when the waitress blushed coyly as she wrote their order down and replied that she would be happy to help them with anything they needed. Did they want anything to drink? she wanted to know. Rafe said that they would each have water, no ice for him please, all the while leaning in close, that smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. The waitress nearly giggled as she ran off again.

May blinked. "What just happened?"

"You don't want to know," Drew muttered, face buried in his hands. "I think that whoever's writing this story just had a brief moment of insanity."

"What?"

"Nothing."

May shrugged and leaned forward, chin in her hands. "Anyways, guys, about the plan for today. I'm thinking that we could go around One Island today, and then tomorrow we go to Two Island, and so on. Of course, if you have any other ideas...?"

"I'm fine with it."

"Same here. I figured you'd do something like this."

"Oh, you did, did you?"

"Yes. I know you better than you think, May," he murmured.

"Well," she said reluctantly, "we _have_ known each other for seven years or so."

"Seven years?" Rafe pried his eyes off a pink-haired girl several tables away to look back at May.

"Yeah, we met a little while after I started my first Pokemon journey," she explained. A reminiscent smile lit her face as she remembered. "His first words to me were insults."

"You had to bring _that_ up," Drew chuckled.

"You still tease me - it shouldn't be so embarrassing, Drew."

A frown made her brows come together as she spotted the girl Rafe had had his eye on earlier. "Hey, Drew," she said slowly, "doesn't that girl seem a bit familiar to you?"

Drew glanced at the figure. "Curly, short pink hair, straight bangs, big blue eyes... oh, _Arceus_," he muttered. "Not her."

"You think it's Brianna? Mega-Drew-fangirl Brianna?"

He smiled ruefully at her. "Yes."

"You know her?" Rafe stood and motioned to the other two. "Let's go over."

"Why?"

But Rafe was already halfway to the other table, his eyes pinned on the pink-haired girl who sipped her drink serenely, staring out the window with a dreamy smile on her lips. With a casual movement, he leaned on the table and flashed her his trademark smirk. "Brianna, right?"

"H-how do you know my name?" the girl asked, slightly flustered. Then her eye caught the coordinators behind Rafe, and a blush spread over her face. "M-mister Drew! And May!"

"Hi, Brianna."

May smiled. "Hi! Long time no see."

"I... I can't believe this!" Brianna nearly squealed, her eyes shining as she pushed past Rafe to stop before Drew, afraid to move closer, afraid to not move closer. "Mister Drew..."

"What? Do you want to shake my hand again like last time, Brianna?" he chuckled.

"S-sure!"

Her blush deepened after their hands parted. "W-wow," she breathed. "I remember saying last time that I'd never wash my hand again... but this time I'm definitely going to keep that promise!"

"No need," Drew laughed.

"Brianna, what are you doing here anyways?" May asked.

"I heard that you can catch Horsea here on One Island. Since I've been wanting to catch a Horsea for a really long time, I thought it'd be a good idea to come here while I had the time. How about you?"

"I won two Rainbow Passes, so I 'dragged' Drew along with me," she said with a bit of embarrassment.

"Oh. Well, I hope you have fun around here," the pink-haired girl said happily. "And. Um." She turned back to Rafe, wary of his gaze. "S-sorry for ignoring you; I was just too excited to see Mister Drew again--"

"It's fine," Rafe said stiffly. He extended a hand. "I'm Rafe. Sorry for being so abrupt earlier."

"It's fine," Brianna said shyly. Turning back to the other two Coordinators, she waved. "I'll see all of you later!"

"Bye."

"Bye, Brianna."

"See you around."

Rafe glared at Drew. The victim blinked.

"What?"

"Damn you, Drew," the trainer muttered. "Damn you."

**_~roses~_**

-------------------

For anyone interested, you can check out the version of this that I put on deviantART. Go to my profile to a link to my deviantART account.


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